The Central Terminal Building (CTB) construction is the largest single project ACSA has ever embarked upon. Construction is progressing well and once complete, it will provide the required international terminal capacity in terms of holding lounges, airside commercial areas and boarding gates. In addition, four 90m baggage carousels will be up and running for the massive new generation aircraft such as the A380.

Undoubtedly, this development will help ensure that ORTIA is fully prepared for the 2010 World Cup. The CTB will comprise a multi-level terminal building located between the international and domestic terminals. In line with existing airport flow, departures activity will predominantly be on the upper level with arrivals activity on the ground level. Mezzanines will be developed for commercial activities along with basements for services and baggage handling. The Gautrain Station and the rail line will be elevated above the airport precinct (over the upper roadway system), It will be directly connected to the CTB and will therefore enjoy all the amenities offered within the CTB and the other terminal buildings. Scheduled completion date: Late 2009.

2. International Pier (535 million)

Holding lounges, airside commercial areas and boarding gates will facilitate international travellers and expand the departures and arrivals areas of the international terminal considerably. The existing Duty Free mall is also due to expand into this area. The pier development will allow for a substantial increase in the number of passengers boarding and disembarking through connecting stands (air bridges). As a result, improved passenger service will help airline operators improve their turnaround times.

What does the International Pier Project entail exactly? Construction of an extension to the pier building together with associated infrastructure to the north and east of existing international terminals. What will the pier consist of? A double level structure, with connection to the same operational levels as the terminal building – arrival and departure levels respectively. The existing bus station serving departures to remotely parked aircraft will be redeveloped in close integration with the pier. Scheduled completion: Early 2008.

3. Echo Apron (R219 million)

Airside capacity will increase as a result of the additional aircraft stands. The expansion of apron areas (parking bays) will be complimented by the International Pier, and development will accommodate nine contact stands in the form of air bridges linking terminals and aircraft directly. Four of these stands will accommodate an A380, the largest aircraft ever manufactured, and will be equipped with dual air bridges to load and offload passengers to upper and lower levels (2 decks make up the A380) of the aircraft at the same time. For passengers who need to be bussed from the aircraft, two remote stands are being developed. One new taxiway will be developed and another will be reconfigured to serve the upgraded apron. The number of aircraft stands on the Bravo and Delta aprons will change slightly to provide for better traffic flows and increased spatial requirements for A380 type aircraft. Taxiway shoulders, service roads, ramp handling equipment parking areas, fuel, storm water drainage and water and electricity are other services that are also being upgraded.

The new upper roadway system that is currently underway at ORTIA, in order to make way for a new concourse on the International Departures level in the International Departures Terminal building.

The completion of the new upper roadway system project is the first phase in the Terminal A Departures Upgrade (TADU) project. This will make way for the second phase of the project which will entail the development of the new spacious public concourse at International Departures. The new upper roadway system which is being built to direct traffic around the existing covered roadway system, also acts as the current International Departures drop-off zone.

The new upper roadway system is expected to be completed by February 2007. This will leave the road clear for the start of development on the new public concourse which is expected to get underway thereafter. The new development will allow for the creation of a new wider concourse, which will include additional retail space and increased passenger counter space, which will allow ACSA to reconfigure counters to airlines. The essence of this development is to allow for a much larger public circulation space. Also important, is that the increased space will translate into increased capacity for the processing of passengers.

The additional retail space will essentially accommodate food and beverage vendors, as well as news agents and sweet shops. The development also includes an open deck area that will enable visitors and passengers to relax. Scheduled completion: Late 2007.

5. Multi Storey Parkade (R470 million)

The new MSP2 comprises the provision of 5200 parking bays . In addition to the welcome added capacity, the new parkade will boast some great facilities, including:

Pay on foot - an automated payment system that will accept all major credit cards in addition to cash. Visitors will be able to pay using their credit cards at the exit booms. In addition, debit cards will be accepted at ACSA parking offices.

The improvements will also offer a simpler solution to customers that arrive at the exit boom only to find they have forgotten to pay for their parking. In such an instance, the customer would simply insert the parking ticket, followed by a credit card. Once the direct debt is recorded, the credit card is returned, followed by a card shaped receipt. The boom will open as the receipt is removed.

License Plate Recognition System - As a vehicle enters one of the airport parking areas, the LPR system captures an image of the vehicle and driver, automatically recording the registration number of the vehicle on the parking ticket.

When the driver has paid for the parking and inserts the exit ticket at the boom, the system automatically reconciles the registration number on the ticket, with the registration number of the exiting vehicle. The boom will only open if the number on the ticket corresponds with the registration number of the ticket.

The system will shut down a potential exit strategy for car thieves and will be also a useful customer service tool. With just a registration number, parking authorities will be able to identify the date and time at which the parking area was accessed, as well as the level at which the client entered. This would also be most useful in helping drivers allocate “lost” vehicles when they forget to note their colour-coded parking level.

Inter-floor Connectivity - the parkade will boast full internal connectivity, with people able to access any floor once within the parkade. Connectivity to existing parkade - drivers will be able to access the existing Multi Storey Parkade (MSP) from floors 2, 3 and 4 of the new parkade.

Scheduled completion: First phase to be completed during the first quarter of 2007 (initial offering of about 1000 parking bays). Final completion is scheduled for late 2008.

6. Absa International Trade Bureau (AITB)

The Absa International Trade Bureau (AITB), officially opened on 15 February 2007, is the new trade centre that was opened at O. R. Tambo International Airport (ORTIA) by the International Trade Bureau (ITB). Located directly across from the International Arrivals Hall at ORTIA, the facility spans 2 200 m2 and is able to accommodate permanent exhibition space for 122 of South Africa’s premier exporters. In addition to the ground floor space available for export companies to promote their goods and services, the mezzanine level provides office space for South African local, regional and national trade promotion agencies, as well as meeting rooms for visitors to the trade centre and a training facility.

Besides housing a permanent exhibition, the trade centre affords visitors and exhibitors access to several other useful amenities, including a business information library, a bookstore with African trade resources, refreshment areas, and a special “trade event-of-the-month” display area highlighting the leading industry trade shows in South Africa for a particular month.

The AITB management team is marketing the centre within ORTIA, through domestic and international carriers’ in-flight magazines, and by facilitating linkages with other “trade marts” in the U.S., Europe and Asia. This also includes coordinating inward buyer programmes and taking “ITB Pavilions” abroad to major international industry trade shows.

Thanks for the photos!
This is a sorely needed project. The airport is confusing to first-time visitors who need to transfer between terminals (and run the gauntlet of 'helpers' who will gladly show you the way for just R10 or more ).

But even worse than confusing, it's crowded. The domestic terminal is fine, but the international terminal has been desperately short of check-in and departure space for as long as I can remember. These additions will be very useful.

I'm glad to see so much progress on the Central Terminal Building. In August when I saw it, it was just a large hole in the ground. The Y-shaped pillars look interesting...I'm anxious to see the roof they'll support.

Nice photos.. Those Y shaped pillars should either be supporting the floor above (Gautrain station) or just the roof.. They keeping it in the same theme as the domestic terminal, cant find the photo of the Y-shaped columns but they have them too..

Thanx Kulani, this airports international terminal needed an upgrade BADLY, if not an upgrade a whole new terminal! once they sort out that confusing connection between international terminal & the domestic term.. things will be on an up for this place.

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Just read the Sunday Times and saw an tender advert from ACSA requesting consultants to assist with the planning, designing and integration of the proposed midfield terminal for the period 2007 - 2013. Looks like the development of the airport is going continue after 2010. Wonder if it will incorporate the proposed 3rd runway too. Anyway they better keep some things in mind - like access to the Gautrain. Also wonder if the new Durban airport will ever get to its 8M throughput p.a. if both ACSA and the airlines keep the hub-and-spoke system alive.

Nice page. I was wondering if anybody has any information about the O.R Tambo airport upgrades that was announced in May. This was the long term plans up to 2022, I have a few details.

The plans include: un upgrade of the airport to handel 55 million passengers a year. This includes the new center terminal, new runway(part of it will be suspended over Great north road and atlas road), extension of the old runways, the movement of the main entrance to the N12 and the buy out of 3500 properties including the Denel property.